rship, thus making defendant and plaintiff change
places. This had no place in the proceedings because they could not
prepare the decision in which they did not make investigations. Further
it would be a perversion of the order given by the two sides, both
for petitioner and possessor, and clearly what they would do would be
null and void. For this and other reasons the opinion of the Portuguese
judges had no value. They ought to conform to ours, and not doing so,
it is evident that they are guilty of the time already lost and which
will be lost.

May 7. _Ibid._ The Portuguese attorney shattered at length the reasons
of Ribera with texts from Bartulo [179] and Baldo, and concluded by
saying that the opinion of the Castilian judges was null and void
and wrong, and ought to be rectified. Without doubt this was the
instruction received from the court.

May 13. At Badajoz, in the council house of the said town. The
attorneys for Portugal petitioned that the reply of the attorney for
Castilla should not be read, because it should have been presented in
the junta before the twelfth. There was a dispute on this point, but
it was read. It contradicted the other side, and insisted on the same
thing as before. At the end it threw the blame for the delay on the
Portuguese deputies, inasmuch as they would not come to an agreement
with the intention of their Majesties that the cases be determined
in the time allotted. The same day, _ibid._ In the afternoon meeting
Ribera said that the onslaught of the Portuguese deputies on the
preceding afternoon had been expected, and it was understood that
today was the first meeting at which he ought to speak. Therefore he
asked that the petition which precedes be admitted and be placed on
record. This was ordered.

May 18. _Ibid._ In the afternoon the vote of the Portuguese judges
taken the morning of the same day was made public, namely, that they
clung to their opinion, and threw the blame for the delay on the
opposite side.

May 19. The vote of the Castilian judges was made public. It was
to the same effect. They added that the judges of Portugal should
consider whether they could find any expedient or legal form,
whereby the remaining time should not be lost, without prejudice to
their declaration. The Portuguese judges asserted the answer given
at Yelves, whereupon Ribera presented a petition, setting forth the
intention of their Majesties, and throwing the blame on the other
side fo